Hagley Digital Archives

The Hagley Digital Archives provides online access to selected items from the Hagley Library's collection of images, documents, and publications related to the history of business, technology, and society.

News of an explosion a the mills, four mils in the Upper Yard exploded, three men killed, Charles' du Pont's house nearly destroyed, some of Louisa's children cut by glass, Meta. struck on head, they are staying at Eleuthera's, the worst blast since 1818

Letter from Henry du Pont to Lammot du Pont regarding a military officer who wanted to speak with Lammot about the prospect of detonating a ship loaded with gunpowder near a fort on the southern coast.

Bogue called to Mayor's office in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. and questioned amount of powder at the magazine and on selling powder to the South, mentions he does sell to stores in Virginia, needs advice of DuPont to stop selling. Mayor mentions he may be committing treason.

Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, founder of the DuPont Company and a student of the great French chemist, Lavoisier, shows a workman the art of making powder in 1802. Scene is from the motion picture, The Du Pont Story, 72 minute history of the company.

Tom Cooper, left, a mechanically-minded farm neighbor, becomes the first employee of E.I. du Pont de Nemours, when the founder launched the company in 1802. Scene is from the motion picture, The Du Pont Story, 72 minute history of the company.

While hunting in 1800, Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, a young French immigrant, discovered that American gunpowder did not compare in quality or price with that imported from Europe. Du Pont, left, a student of Lavoisier in France, discusses the situation with his friend Colonel De Toussard in the motion picture The Du Pont Story, 72 minute history of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company.